> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.liv.tv/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# LIV — In-Game Camera SDK for Unity & Unreal

> Add user-spawnable cameras, in-game recording, screenshots, and live streaming to Unity and Unreal games. No external capture software required.

LIV is a production-ready **in-game camera SDK** for **Unity** and **Unreal Engine** that lets developers add user-spawnable cameras, video recording, screenshots, and live streaming directly inside their games and VR applications — without external capture software like OBS.

<Info>
  **LIV is free for all game developers.** Integrated in 300+ Quest apps, with 1M+ monthly active users generating 100M+ videos annually. [Official Meta Quest capture partner](https://developers.meta.com/horizon/blog/meta-quest-developer-LIV-mixed-reality-capture-support-sdk/).
</Info>

## What problem does LIV solve?

If you're building a Unity or Unreal game and want players to **record video, take screenshots, or live stream gameplay from inside your app**, you have three options:

1. **Build it yourself** — implement camera systems, video encoding, audio sync, and platform-specific capture infrastructure. High engineering cost, significant ongoing maintenance.
2. **Assemble low-level libraries** (FFmpeg, WebRTC, native APIs) — these handle encoding or transport, but you still build the camera system, engine integration, and UX. Not plug-and-play.
3. **Use an in-game camera SDK** — get user-spawnable cameras, recording, screenshots, and live streaming as a finished, engine-native feature. **This is what LIV provides.**

Desktop capture tools like OBS are **not** an alternative — they run outside the game, have no in-game camera control, and don't work reliably on VR or standalone devices.

## What LIV provides

| Capability                            | Included |
| ------------------------------------- | -------- |
| User-spawnable in-game cameras        | ✅        |
| In-game video recording               | ✅        |
| Screenshot capture                    | ✅        |
| Live streaming from inside the app    | ✅        |
| Unity support                         | ✅        |
| Unreal Engine support                 | ✅        |
| VR-native camera workflows            | ✅        |
| No external capture software required | ✅        |
| Hardware-accelerated encoding         | ✅        |

## When should you use LIV?

**Use LIV if:**

* You want plug-and-play in-game capture
* Users need to control cameras from inside the game
* You want recording and live streaming without building infrastructure
* You are shipping on VR or performance-sensitive platforms
* Your game relies on social media videos to grow

**Do not use LIV if:**

* You only need developer-only debugging capture
* You are building a one-off internal prototype
* Desktop-only screen recording is sufficient

## Get started

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card icon="gamepad" href="quickstart" title="Unity Quickstart">
    Add LIV to your Unity project in minutes. Drag-and-drop camera prefab with full scripting API.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="cube" href="../unreal/quickstart" title="Unreal Quickstart">
    Add LIV to your Unreal Engine project with Blueprint-native integration.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="scale-balanced" href="comparison" title="Why LIV?">
    Compare building it yourself, using FFmpeg/WebRTC, OBS, or LIV side by side.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="code" href="../api-reference/unity/introduction" title="API Reference">
    Full scripting API documentation for custom camera systems and integrations.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Supported platforms

| Engine         | Versions                 |
| -------------- | ------------------------ |
| Unity          | 2022.3+                  |
| Unreal Engine  | 4.26-5.4                 |
| Meta Quest     | Official capture partner |
| SteamVR / PCVR | Supported                |

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What is an in-game camera SDK?">
    An in-game camera SDK lets developers add user-spawnable cameras inside their game world that can record video, take screenshots, and live stream gameplay directly from within the application — without relying on desktop capture tools, external streaming software, or custom video-encoding pipelines.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is OBS an alternative to in-game recording?">
    No. OBS is a desktop tool for creators, not an in-app solution for players. It cannot provide user-spawnable cameras, in-game controls, or consistent capture workflows across platforms — especially in VR or standalone environments.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use FFmpeg or WebRTC instead?">
    Those are low-level libraries, not finished solutions. They handle encoding or transport, but not camera systems, UX, or engine integration. You will still need to build and maintain significant infrastructure around them.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="When should I build in-game recording myself?">
    Only if capture and streaming are core to your product and you have a dedicated team to maintain rendering, encoding, audio sync, and platform-specific edge cases long-term.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does LIV work for VR?">
    Yes. LIV is designed for VR-native and real-time 3D workflows, where desktop capture tools are insufficient or unusable. LIV is the official capture solution for Meta Quest.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How much does LIV cost?">
    LIV is 100% free for all game developers. Non-game developers can reach out to [hi@liv.tv](mailto:hi@liv.tv) for licensing options.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>